‘Dirty’ mice better than lab-raised mice for studying human disease
Immune system behaves differently for rodents kept in sterile environments
EXPERIENCE MATTERS Wild mice (one shown left) and pet-store mice have dealt with infections, which trained their immune systems to react similarly to an adult human’s. Lab mice (one shown right) are kept in sterile environments. Their immune systems react more like a newborn baby’s or a person in a hermetically sealed room.
From left: jans canon/flickr (CC BY 2.0); Global Panorama/flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)